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It is funny how a doodle can kind of take on a shape (like my previous one that turned into a wood pile). This one looks like it could be a pile of dough – or people cuddling! Since this was a water soluble pencil, I wet my fingertip to smear it around a bit – fun to play with, but try to remember to switch out your fingers unless you like the taste of graphite or invite lead poisoning. Better yet, use a Q-tip and water (or a brush if you want to be more formal) .

I have been doodling for decades at this point. I can go back and look at old high school and college notebooks and still know what I was thinking on that day (which usually wasn’t about what was happening in class!). Doodling is almost mental health therapy for me and it is not unusual for me to be way more relaxed after I do one. However, I know some people are sort of intimidated by it. I think that anyone can be creative, but not everyone knows how to start! I think too many people want to draw, but don’t feel they can if they can’t immediately do a perfect detailed drawing. Sometimes it is just about the process! You don’t have to put everything up on the wall (or on a blog – smile), so just have fun. If you have an ordered mind and need a little direction, you might want to try Zentangles. Zentangle doodling involves setting up a doodle with a original “box” with lines already drawn in as “borders” to each type of doodle . I bought the book I have highlighted in the right column (One Zentangle a Day) and did one recently that I posted below. I like the idea of having an exercise a day, and I think this sort or precise direction (with room for creativity) really appeals to alot of people. Someone who is extremely meticulous, but still wants to do something creative, would like this. If that person is more sloppy and disorganized like myself, it is kind of fun do once in a while and you don’t have to be super disciplined about it if you don’t want to be. I will never be the type of person who can do one “anything” a day on a schedule. I will highlight more books as I come across them. I won’t be doing Zentangles every day, but will post them if I come up with any good ones. Be sure to check out zentangle.com if you want to know more about Zentangles.

I did this doodle after a particular stressful day at work. Guess you can tell my thoughts on this one. I went from sort of “abstract” doodling into thinking it all looked like a woood pile. This is one of many doodles I have turned over the years into an “almost-actual” drawing. It is amazing how cathartic doodling can be!